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HAM's the name
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HAM, apart from being a fascinating hobby, is a useful tool during emergencies, says M. ALLIRAJAN
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Pic: S. Siva Saravanan. Collage: K.B. Jawahar.
ENTHUSIASTIC OPERATORS work in all seriousness transmitting vital information at the Coimbatore Amateur Radio Club (CARC). They have been working non-stop since the tsunami struck, helping save lives and coordinating relief efforts-all from a small room on the bustling Avinashi Road.
The room is the hub of Hertz Armstrong Marconi (HAM) operators, all members of the CARC run by G.D. Gopal.
"It is a fascinating hobby. I talk about things that interest me with HAMs around the world," says N. Kalyan Raman, a member of the club.
"We discuss everything except politics, religion and third party messages (barring cases of emergency)," explains N. Krishnakumar, a HAM radio operator and secretary of the Repeaters Society of Kodaikanal (RSK), one of the largest repeaters (equipment that receives weak signals, amplifies and retransmits them) in the country.
"I spend four hours a day `HAMing'. It is a great stress buster. Also, you can learn a lot from other HAMs.
Probably, that's why it is called amateur radio," he remarks.
Friend during disaster
It's a hobby all right; but, HAM is arguably man's best friend when disaster strikes.
When every other communication link was snapped after the tsunami that wreaked havoc along coastlines in South-East Asia, it was a small group of HAM operators who set up base in the Andamans and established contact with the rest of the world.
Whether it is the Orissa super cyclone, the Gujarat earthquake or any other disaster, HAMs have always come to the rescue. The CARC and its members have helped people caught in crisis too. The current disaster is no exception.
Emergency support
Saifuddin, a HAM based in Pollachi, relayed information on the condition of a woman stranded in the Andamans to her husband in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. HAMs coming under the RSK went to Velankanni immediately after the disaster and set up communication bases.
The CARC is acting as a `patching' station coordinating offers of assistance from various quarters.
Once, a yacht travelling about 20 nautical miles off the Chennai coast was caught in a storm and lost all communication. Thankfully, a HAM operator on board logged on to the network and passed on a distress message. An operator in Coimbatore saw the communication by chance and relayed it to Chennai, thus helping save lives."Though HAM radio is an old form of communication, it is a godsend for people in need of help because of its operational advantages," explains K. Narayanan Nair, in-charge of CARC.
Communicating differently
What makes HAM radio different? "It is a one-to-one communication mode. You need just 15 minutes to install a HAM station," Krishnakumar points out.
"Unlike other forms of communication, HAM does not depend on external modes for linking. If you have an antenna, equipment and power supply (either electric or battery) you can establish contact from anywhere," Kalyan Raman explains.
"Everyone talks about HAMs only during disasters. But we are active through the year. People who come here return disappointed because they think that Morse code is the only language of communication for HAMs. Awareness about HAM radio is abysmally low," he adds.
To change this, the CARC conducts awareness programmes, `jamboree on air' for scouts and guides, where they get to talk to their counterparts across the country, and contests.It also uses HAM radio for sporting events, especially rallies. The Indian leg of the world famous London Sydney Marathon saw HAM being used extensively. "We have been providing communication support for rallies for the past 15 years. It is a very useful device," Kalyan Raman affirms.
How do HAMs manage emergencies? "We sit up longer. In normal times, we operate for four-five hours a day. Now, we are on air almost through the day. We receive messages seeking help at odd hours. It is a huge responsibility, yes. But, we enjoy doing it," Krishnakumar concludes.
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HAMs and more...
HAM derives its name from the pioneers of communication - Hertz, Armstrong and Marconi.
To become a HAM operator, you need to possess an amateur radio operator licence issued by the WPC wing of the Ministry of Communications after you pass an examination it conducts.
The CARC conducts regular courses in Morse code transmission and basic electronics.
Though the technology has been in existence for many years, there have been a number of improvements. Now, the Ecolink software enables you to use the computer to hook on to users with the same software across the world. All you need is a modem, a computer and an Internet connection.
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and astronaut Kalpana Chawla were HAMs.
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